The 126th BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship is set for June 15-17 & 20 at Sunnybrook Golf Club.
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A field of 146 will first take part in 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying at Sunnybrook and The 1912 Club (qualifying site only) for one of 32 available match-play positions. Any ties for the final spot(s) will be broken by a sudden-death playoff at the conclusion of play on June 15 at Sunnybrook.
Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches will take place on June 16; the quarterfinals and semifinals follow on June 17. The 36-hole Final is set for Saturday, June 20.
BMW returns for its 12th consecutive year as the event’s presenting partner.
The Amateur Champion receives the J. Wood Platt Amateur Trophy. Its namesake holds a record seven Amateur titles. The winner also receives an exemption into U.S. Amateur Final Qualifying. The 126th U.S. Amateur will take place Aug. 10-16 at Merion Golf Club (East Course) in Ardmore, Pa.
Sunnybrook welcomed the Amateur once before. In 1980, Ben Goldman of Philmont Country Club defeated clubmate Bob Levy, 5&4.
In addition to hosting the Amateur, Sunnybrook has staged the 1988 Middle-Amateur Championship, the 1985 Philadelphia Open Championship and the 1961 Joseph H. Patterson Cup.
“It means a lot to our membership and the club as a whole,” Brad Sanders, Sunnybrook’s golf professional of eight years, said. “It’s a cool chance to showcase our golf course. A lot of people don’t know the course, and we like to keep it that way. We like being one of the hidden gems of Philadelphia.”
On a national stage, Sunnybrook welcomed the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship (1971) won by Tom Draper of Troy, Mich., and the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship (1978) captured by Cathy Sherk of Canada.
Sunnybrook originated in 1913 under the leadership of six crusaders, including former GAP President Samuel Heebner (1899-1905). Donald Ross designed the original course, which opened for play in 1914. In 1954, the club was forced to relocate from Flourtown, Pa., to Plymouth Meeting, Pa., due to the construction of Route 309. The new site, a 135-acre former farm, was designed by William Gordon and his son, David.
“There’s nothing crazy about our golf course. Everything’s right in front of you,” Sanders, 36, of Cheltenham, Pa., said. “But our greens can be pretty hard with speed and firmness. And when the fairways get firm and fast, they’re a lot smaller than people expect because of the slope of the property. I’d be shocked to see a lot of people hitting fairways if it’s firm and fast.”
Another Sunnybrook storyline belongs to the club’s only member in the field: Travis Robertson. A rising junior at Lafayette College, he finished runner-up in the Patriot League Championship in April, eagling his final hole to reach a playoff. Robertson earned All-Patriot League Second Team honors, along with Academic All-Patriot League recognition.
Sunnybrook is second nature to Robertson.
“I think having grown up playing this course, there’s definitely course knowledge, where to miss, where not to miss,” Robertson, 20, Fort Washington, Pa., said. “Being on a home course is advantageous. I’ve had a lot of reps there. It feels comfortable.”
Robertson is in search of his first J. Wood Platt Trophy. Those in the field who hold Amateur titles include Drue Nicholas of Merion Golf Club (2025), Jeremy Wall of Manasquan River Golf Club (2018-19) and Gregor Orlando of Philadelphia Cricket Club (2017).
Nicholas defeated Patrick Isztwan of Huntingdon Valley Country Club, 5&4, last year at Aronimink Golf Club. Nicholas enters Sunnybrook after a standout 2025 season in which he earned the William Hyndman, III Player of the Year honor; won the Philadelphia Open at Bidermann Golf Club and finished second in the Patterson Cup after a playoff at Waynesborough Country Club, in addition to the Amateur victory. Nicholas also won the 2022 Patterson Cup at St. Davids Golf Club.
Nicholas, a year removed from Drexel University, balances competitive golf with full-time work as a financial associate for Walsh & Nicholson Financial Group.
“I haven’t been able to play as much golf,” Nicholas, 23, of Philadelphia, Pa., said. “With college golf, you have a whole season to work out the kinks. I don’t get the privilege of that anymore. I still try my best to play on the weekends, but that’s about it.”
Nicholas has only played Sunnybrook a few times, but the course left a clear impression.
“It’s a very traditional Philly golf course,” Nicholas said. “If you keep it in the fairway and hit greens, you’ll be all right. If the rough gets long and the greens get firm, it could be hard, but it’s very fair. If you play good, boring golf, you’ll be all right.
“Last year, I definitely did not think I could do what I did,” Nicholas said. “I am in a very similar position, thinking the exact same thing. But history would say it could happen. My game feels okay, about the same as it did last June.”
The BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship is open to the public. Spectators are welcome. Visit the BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship portal for more information and resources.
BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship
Originating in 1897, the Amateur Championship is GAP’s premier individual event. Albert H. Smith of Philadelphia Cricket Club won the first Amateur Championship, then known as the GAP Individual Championship, by defeating J.D. Winsor, Jr. of Merion Cricket Club in 37 holes. The event’s format switched to medal play in 1938. J. Wood Platt went on to win two consecutive Amateur titles under that format. His brother William “Zimmer” Platt earned the 1940 title at Philadelphia Cricket Club by being the only competitor to finish all 72 holes. The event’s format reverted to match play in 1941. The Amateur Championship wasn’t contested from 1943-45 because of World War II. Overall, 34 courses have hosted the Amateur. GAP Magazine Editor-in-Chief Martin D. Emeno, Jr. and Senior Writer Tony Regina chronicled the event’s history in the Summer 2017 edition of the publication.
GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 140,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
